The role of information systems within corporate strategy and management policies new challenges

Summary form only given. Until now, IT engineers, and particularly project teams working to tight deadlines, have felt that they are little more than IT masons, with no clear overall vision of what they are on. Today they have to become bona fide architects, which take time. It is also necessary to federate - within a department in charge of IT landscaping and functional architecture - the IT architecture skills which define the overall corporate model and ensure interoperability between information systems. This high level team then constructs a global vision, and guarantees coherence between the various system components through direct involvement in making important, formative decisions such as drawing up benchmark reference systems and defining projects.